


Seemed Like Lifetimes Ago

by HuiLian



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Sorry I don't know how to tag, the rating is for one curse word
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-14 07:21:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16035689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HuiLian/pseuds/HuiLian
Summary: “Do you want to be considered a Robin?” Nightwing asked. Steph blinked once, twice. She had no idea how to reply to that question.





	Seemed Like Lifetimes Ago

**Author's Note:**

> Blame my 1 am brain for this. I’m supposed to study for English Midterms, but this counts as studying English? No? 
> 
> title from In the Heights by Lin Manuel-Miranda

"Do you want to be considered a Robin?" Nightwing asked. Steph blinked once, twice. She had no idea how to reply to that question. 

She met Nightwing when she found a thug running away from a scene. Apparently, Dick followed a drug trail from Blüd to Gotham and decided to do a bust there. One thug managed to escape, but not really, because he met with yours truly. 

After all was said and done (by said and done, Steph meant that all the thugs have been apprehended, tied up, and left strung for GCPD. Dick had collected some evidence, but hey, that was hardly Steph's business. It was from Blüd.), Nightwing had challenged Spoiler to a building climbing contest. 

Steph didn't really know why he bothered asking her. It's not like she would give him any hardship in winning. Steph couldn't win. She couldn't win against Cass, she couldn't win againts Tim, she especially couldn't win against Nightwing. However, a challenge was _never_ to be declined in this family, and so they climbed a building. 

As predicted, Nightwing won. (Of course he won. Steph didn't know why she even bothered.) Steph found him lounging on the roof when she managed to (finally, painstakingly) climbed the building. 

(The challenge was issued with the condition of no grapple gun use. What kind of lunatic does that?

Nightwing. Nightwing is exactly the kind of lunatic that will do it. Now she could see where Tim got his reckless streak from.)

Still out of breath from climbing a fucking building, thank you very much, Steph was then faced with a question she had asked herself for years, now. Does she want to be considered a Robin? 

"I know you were only Robin for what? A few weeks? I also know B was an ass during your time as Robin.”

The statement that Bruce was an ass was such a universal truth that it managed to unlock Steph's mouth. "Batman didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"Consider me Robin."

Dick huffed out an almost laugh. "Did no one tell you?" He turned around to face Steph, and even though his eyes were covered with his domino, Steph tell that the smile he gave her was genuine. "B does not get to decide who gets to become Robin. I do."

"So?"

"Hmm?"

It's like he didn't even noticed. It was never _her_ call whether or not she was Robin. It was always someone else's. "Have you decided whether or not I am Robin?" Steph spat out. 

"That's up to you to decide. Do you want to be considered a Robin?"

Wait. Was he really asking her if _she_ wants to be considered Robin?

Steph stopped. Sat down. Thought out the question for real for the first time ever. 

She thought of weeks of training, with Bruce always behind her shoulder, telling her she was not good enough. Steph thought of always being scrutinized- what was the saying Bruce always told her?  Ah. One strike and you're out. Steph thought of people constantly underestimating her, of people saying she was not the real Robin. 

Being Robin was the best weeks of her life. She knew without a doubt what to say. 

"Yes."

Nightwing shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Then you're Robin. Welcome to the club, sister."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. I _have_ seen you in action, you know."

Oh. That was actually quite reassuring. The seal of approval from Richard John Grayson, first Robin, once Batman, and current Nightwing. Unfortunately, the Bat had trained her too well to accept compliments. (It's a Problem for everyone in the family. Ask anyone.)

"So not every kid saying they want to be Robin gets to be a Robin?" Steph teased. (Teasing is good. Teasing is familiar.)

"Of course not." Dick looked so indignant that Steph had (i) to laugh. 

"Hey! Why are you laughing?" Oh god. He looked even more indignant now. Steph could see why Babs was so entranced with him. 

"It's just…pffftt, your face!"

"What's wrong with my face? Is it too handsome for you?" God. Who knew Dick could be so, so, relaxed. Steph had minimal interactions with him when she was Spoiler, and when she was Batgirl, well. He was Batman. That's really all that can be said about it. 

After Steph's laughter had died down, Dick spoke up again. "I should ask O for shared custody of you."

Wait. Hold up. "Shared custody?"

Dick gestured with his hands. "You know. You're Robin. But you're also Batgirl. So, I should ask for shared custody."

"Does that means you have custody of Hood? And Red Robin?"

"Don't you know?"

What. "And O has custody of, what? BB and me?"

"Well, now that you said you're Robin, I should get custody of you too."

What. 

And then Dick burst out laughing. That jerk. 

"I got you back, Spoiler."

Steph punched him in the shoulder. Dick let her do it. 

"Was it good? Being Robin?" he asked. He sounded so concerned about the answer that Stephanie decided to answer truthfully. 

"Yes." Being Robin was exhausting. It was frustrating. It was being pushed to the absolute limit, yet still being told you're not good enough. But by the grace of God, it was good. 

"I'm glad."

It was silent for a while before Steph said, "So, when are you going to teach me your moves, N?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, come on!" Steph let her arms go over her head. "I've heard stories, you know. From Red. From the little brat. Even from Hood. When are you going to teach me?"

"You want me to teach you… what? My moves?"

"Duh! Of course I want you to teach me your moves. It's practically legendary, by now."

"Who told you that?" 

"Everybody." Steph raised her eyebrows. The good thing about wearing a mask on the bottom half of her face was that her eyebrows are visible, and therefore she can enunciate her expressions much, much better than if she were wearing a domino. 

Dick put a hand on his face. "O told you, didn't she?"

"With great remarks of the quality of your, ahem, moves, while doing so." The downside of wearing a mask on the bottom half of her face was that her mouth was _not_ visible, and therefore Dick couldn't see the smirk she had spent so long perfecting. 

With a hand still on his face, Dick said, "Just for that, your training starts now." Suddenly he was not lounging next to her on the roof, but already preparing to jump to the next. "Catch me, Spoiler!"

Steph groaned. This was going to be a long night.

**Author's Note:**

> check out my tumblr (huilian.tumblr.com)


End file.
